Lessons Learned
by Bentarb Jade Bronze
Summary: Darth Thanaton believed this former slave would blindly waltz into his trap. But Salermance was not the same Acolyte she once was. She had learned.


Lessons Learned

A SWTOR FanFic

By Bentarb Jade Bronze

Freshly anointed Lord Salermance walked into Lord Kallig's tomb, Khem Val by her side. Her red and purple Apprentice robes were coated in a layer of tomb dust, her ancestral mask probably had several new battle marks, her body was tired, and all she wanted to do take a was hot bath and go to bed. But the Force had other plans for her it seemed. Her former master, Darth Zash, tried to kill her and claim her body. Instead, she was trapped in the body of a Dashade, forced to share with a being she could not stand and who could not stand her.

Zash's master, Darth Thanaton, had acted friendly when he congratulated Salermance on her victory and tried to send her to retrieve ancient writings from Darth Andru's tomb, but she has learned since her time on Korriban. To hell if he thought she would just stroll in unprepared, for what stank of a trap. No, she needed a plan, she needed it now, and she could only think of one person who could help her.

She stopped just in front of the sarcophagus, and called for her ancestor.

"Lord Kallig? I'm sorry to disturb you but I need advice. Now."

"What do you seek, flesh of my flesh?" said a ghostly voice behind her. She turned around finding the ghost of her ancestor stood expectantly.

"Zash's superior, Darth Thanaton, has ordered me to go into a the Tomb of Darth Andru and collect some alchemical writings within. But I know he wants me dead. He's hoping that the ghost of Darth Andru or whoever else might be in there will kill me for him," Lord Salermance explained.

"And so you wish to avoid repeating your mistake of wandering into a Sith Tomb unprepared," Lord Kallig surmised as he began pacing around up and down in front of his descendant. "It is good to see you are learning."

"Thank you, but I need help not praise. I don't know how to fight a ghost, and Zash doesn't have any ideas."

"Indeed," added Khem Val. "The witch is unable to help with this problem. Or maybe just unwilling."

Khem then shuddered, and Zash's voice began speaking. "Now listen here beast," she stated. "I have no loyalty to Darth Thanaton, and no reason to hide any information that could help. What could I possibly gain from my apprentice's death?"

"I am _not_ your apprentice Zash," Lord Salermance snapped, sending out a wave of Force energy with a wave of her hand. "And we don't have time for this. I don't know how long I have before Darth Thanaton tries something against me or my power base. So again, how do I stand my ground against a hostile Sith ghost?"

"In my time there were mystical movements among the Sith who studied ghosts in hopes of gaining their power," Lord Kallig explained, gesturing at his descendant.

"And you think I should seek this knowledge?"

"Indeed. Since the day we met, I have sensed something in you. You have a rare pull among ghosts. It's a source of great power that has destroyed many a Sith. It's your only chance against Thanaton."

"'A pull on the dead'? What does that mean?"

"They can sense you from afar, and you rouse strong emotions in them. A Sith named Ergast was said to devourer ghosts, the same way your Dashade devours force users. His knowledge was buried with him near The Dark Temple."

"Thank you, Lord Kallig," Lord Salermance said, bowing politely. "I shall go to Ergast's tomb, and learn this power." As she turned to leave with Khem, Lord Kallig stopped her with a last warning.

"Remember flesh of my flesh, _you_ are the last hope for our blood line," he reminded. "I do not want to tell you again. If you fail, I won't have the power to save you from Thanaton. You must use all the resources at you disposal."

"I will not fail," Lord Salermance answered. "Darth Thanaton will _not_ be my end, and I will do everything in power to defeat him." With that final assurance, she left to find the secrets of Ergast.

She was born a slave. She had become a Sith. She had gained friends and allies. She had begun a project that was already four years in the making. She had killed a Darth, slain fellow acolytes, and spat in the face of all those who would keep her in chains.

She had _not_ come this far, done so much, all to let it end at the hands of a traditionalist, who wouldn't accept the truth.

Salermance was a greater Sith than he knew.

She has earned her place among them, she has learned her lessons, and she will continue to do so.


End file.
